Mizuya, George St, Sydney

Why is that concept restaurants only really work when it comes to Asian food? Mizuyaya is located on George St in the Sydney CBD in an underground restaurant offering private karaoke rooms where you can sing Lady Gaga songs while stuffing your face with skewers of beef and downing cocktails. If singing isn’t your thing, thankfully they provide booths in the restaurant away from the singing. The booths offer privacy and are big enough to fit 6 or 8 people. Whether you choose to sing or otherwise, all food orders are taken via a computer touch screen.

Staff give a quick tutorial on how to place orders using the touch screen. First, select your language. The menu is divided up into various sections, each with an accompanying photo. Make your choice and decide how many you want.

Once you’ve made your choice, a box pops up confirming the order and price. Orders are then immediately sent to the kitchen, so there’s no changing your mind once you hit that final button. It’s a nifty concept. No trying to flag down a busy waiter, no order mix ups and because the order is sent straight to the kitchen, the entire process is fairly quick.

Mizuya is an izakaya style of dining – small plates to be consumed with beverages. A Japanese tapas if you will. Alongside alcoholic cocktails, Wagaya also have a great selection of non-alcoholic drinks, all named after the various star signs. My memory is as hazy as this picture when trying to remember what was in mine, but I have definite memories of this being sweet and very drinkable.

Always edamame to start.

Skewers of grilled octopus were firm and just the right side of chewiness. There was a slight smokiness of the grill that was cut through by a squeeze of lemon.

Bowl of rice to fill our stomachs and the other must-have, pork gyoza.

Once you’re done, press the button for your bill to be totaled and it will be quickly brought out to you. A call button means if there are any questions you need answered while you’re dining, there’s no need to get up. It’s the lazy person’s dining dream. Mizuya is a fun dining out option with a quirky concept. Grab a group together and order lots. Singing is optional.